Efficacy of complementary interventions for management of anxiety in patients undergoing coronary angiography: A rapid systematic review

Authors: Bordbar Mina, Fereidouni Zhila, Morandini Morteza Kameli, Najafi Kalyani MajidJournal: Journal of vascular nursing : official publication of the Society for Peripheral Vascular NursingPublished: March 1, 2020DOI: 10.1016/j.jvn.2019.12.005

Strong EvidenceSystematic Reviewn=1312 participants

Anxiety

In Plain Language: anxiety, explained

Coronary angiography (CAG) is an invasive and anxiety-provoking procedure for many patients. Psychological problems, especially anxiety, are the main concern of nurses taking care of these patients before the procedure. This rapid systematic review aimed to assess the efficacy of interventions for management of anxiety in patients undergoing CAG. In this study, all published, peer-reviewed, English-language interventional studies from 2009 to 2018 were identified in a search of Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases. The relevant studies were assessed using a quality assessment checklist. All included studies were assessed by 2 researchers. Finally, 15 studies with 1,312 participants that evaluated the effects of complementary methods on management of anxiety in patients undergoing CAG were included. The findings of this rapid systematic review suggested that complementary and nonpharmacological methods, such as music therapy, reflexology, Benson's relaxation technique, aromatherapy, guided imagery, and yoga, could be used effectively for management of anxiety in patients undergoing CAG.

Key Findings: what this systematic review found about anxiety

✓This systematic review included 15 studies with 1,312 participants examining complementary interventions for anxiety management in coronary angiography patients.
✓Complementary and nonpharmacological methods including music therapy, reflexology, Benson's relaxation technique, and aromatherapy were found to be effective for managing anxiety in patients undergoing coronary angiography.
✓Anxiety is a primary concern for nurses caring for patients before coronary angiography, an invasive and anxiety-provoking diagnostic procedure.

What This Means for You

If you're anxious about undergoing coronary angiography, reflexology is supported by systematic review evidence as a helpful complementary therapy to reduce your anxiety before the procedure.

What This Means for Practitioners

Reflexology is recognized in peer-reviewed systematic reviews as an effective complementary intervention for pre-procedure anxiety in cardiac patients, supporting its integration into clinical settings.

Study Design: how this systematic review was run

Sample Size

1312 participants

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Anxiety: common questions

What does this study say about anxiety?

If you're anxious about undergoing coronary angiography, reflexology is supported by systematic review evidence as a helpful complementary therapy to reduce your anxiety before the procedure.

What did this study find?

This systematic review included 15 studies with 1,312 participants examining complementary interventions for anxiety management in coronary angiography patients. Complementary and nonpharmacological methods including music therapy, reflexology, Benson's relaxation technique, and aromatherapy were found to be effective for managing anxiety in patients undergoing coronary angiography. Anxiety is a primary concern for nurses caring for patients before coronary angiography, an invasive and anxiety-provoking diagnostic procedure.

How strong is this evidence?

This is a systematic review and we rate its evidence strong. It covers 1,312 participants. It was published in Journal of vascular nursing : official publication of the Society for Peripheral Vascular Nursing. This study is indexed here for context; it did not test reflexology itself.